Merri Creek Management Committee

Members of MCMC include several councils including:

• Darebin, Hume, Moreland, Whittlesea, Yarra and Mitchell Shire

As well as two environmental community groups:

• Friends of Merri Creek and Wallan Environment Group

Representatives from each of these groups work together to plan and create new policy for management of the Merri Creek. The group also work together with the Darebin Creek Management Committee and the Moonee Ponds Creek Coordination Committee.

Education
MCMC provides a range of educational materials to schools and community groups. Students are given the opportunity to learn about the diversity of native flora and fauna present in the Merri Creek and surrounding habitats.

Waterwatch program
MCMC’s Waterwatch program helps communities to monitor, conserve and protect their local waterways. It’s fun, hands on and free, funded by the Cities of Darebin, Moreland, Whittlesea, and Yarra, and Melbourne Water. Individual volunteers, schools, businesses and community groups are given training and support to monitor and protect their waterways.

For more information about Waterwatch groups in Darebin, you can visit:

• Reservoir Frogs – Edgars Creek Waterwatch Group
• Darebin Creek Waterwatch Group
• Northcote Waterwatch Group
• Merri Creek Stream Team Waterwatch Group
• Darebin Parklands Waterwatch Group

Learning grounds
MCMC’s learning grounds program helps schools to create indigenous gardens in school grounds. Gardens are designed depending on the individual needs and goals of each school. Students are actively involved in this design process, and with the planting and maintenance (ie. watering, weeding) of the garden. Indigenous Gardens provide a space for students and teachers to recognise and frame conversations about the Indigenous cultural heritage of Wurundjeri Country.

Ecological restoration and revegetation
MCMC’s Ecological Restoration Team works at more than 80 sites across Melbourne. The goal of restoration activities at these sites is to establish and maintain indigenous (local native) vegetation. Restoration activities at these sites include weeding, planting seeds and seedlings, and mulching. At some sites, ecological burns are also carried out to encourage growth of wildflowers and native grass species.

Planning advice
MCMC’s Planning and Coordination team coordinates and provides advice to its member groups. Planning advice is given to help community groups, government and developers make decisions about the Merri Creek which maintain or improve the health, attractiveness and cultural features of the waterway.

There are many different ways that you can volunteer your time, energy and enthusiasm with the Merri Creek Management Committee and their member groups. All programs welcome new volunteers.

To get involved with the Waterwatch program visit Melbourne Water’s Waterwatch events page for upcoming training sessions, or visit the Merri Creek Management Committee events page for upcoming workshops at Merri, Darebin or Edgar’s Creek.

The ecological restoration team welcomes all individual volunteers. Visit this site to get involved with restoring native vegetation along the Merri Creek.

To help deliver educational materials and activities to schools and community groups on biodiversity and our waterways, contact the Merri Creek Management Committee.

MCMC engages with the community through its school education programs and its environmental community groups such as Waterwatch. This connects local communities with river health and sustainable water management issues.

Darebin’s creeks provide the community with natural, green spaces in an otherwise urban area. Studies have shown that public open space in urban areas can increase levels of physical activity in the community and have mental health benefits, which can help to reduce healthcare costs (Parks Victoria, 2017). They also provide the opportunity for people to see a variety of wildlife not usually found in urban areas, some of which are threatened or endangered.

The various education programs and community groups of MCMC bring people together to take part in monitoring and community events. Through Waterwatch and Learning Grounds, the community is supported and encouraged to become actively involved in the conservation and protection of local waterways.

Many native animals call the creeks and lakes of Darebin home – such as platypus, rakali (native water rat), frogs, fish (such as the common galaxias) and birds (such as the sacred kingfisher). Some native animals found in our waterways are rare or endangered. Darebin waterways flow into the Yarra River and eventually into Port Phillip Bay, so the quality of water in our creeks can affect the health of wildlife far downstream and even in the ocean. Understanding, conserving and protecting our waterway environments is important for these reasons.

MCMC coordinates Waterwatch groups, who monitor creek sites across Darebin.  This data allows us to better understand our creek environments and the conditions required for creek ecosystems (plants, animals and their habitats) to stay healthy. This knowledge helps guide us to manage our creeks and catchments sustainably.

Waterwatch monitoring also helps alert us to changes in our creeks that could have negative impacts on wildlife, such as water pollution. In the past, Waterwatch volunteers have found some areas of our creeks to be pollution ‘hot spots’ and have organised clean-ups to help improve these areas.

Darebin City Council acknowledges the Wurundjeri people as the traditional owners and custodians of this land and pays respect to their Elders past and present.

MCMC’s funding comes from government grant programs, and other competitively won tenders.